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Abstract Rovers designed for polar exploration primarily operate in flat and arid central plateau of the Antarctic and are unsuitable for multi-terrain operation such as slushy slow, wet soil, open ice and open ocean. The Multi-terrain Amphibious ARCtic explOrer or MAARCO rover is a design concept that employs a pair of helical drives in order to traverse the diverse landscape of the Arctic for autonomous research missions. A small-scale prototype (3:10 scale) of the MAARCO rover was developed to test terrestrial motion. The prototype is a screw-propelled vehicle that has two helical drives (similar to Archimedes’ screw) actuated by two independent motors to employ a differential steering system. The prototype performed several different maneuvers on a dry and wet sand — moving in a straight line, turning left, and turning right, and moving sideways by controlling the rotational speeds of the two drives. The sensors on the prototype collect data on angular orientation, linear acceleration and motor rotations. Through the tests the rover provided critical insight into the dynamics of the MAARCO rover, particularly, the effect of substrate failure or non-failure on the linear displacement of the rover. Further testing on different substrates and of the rover design on inclines surfaces will provide the MAARCO team valuable insight into designing a full-scale rover design.